Dhaka: Bangladesh have sacked their Croatian national team coach Robert Rubcic little more than two weeks before their opening 2014 World Cup qualifier after he walked out in a pay row.
The 47-year-old has been replaced with former Macedonia coach Gjore Jovanovski who will lead the team in the two-leg Asian zone preliminary round tie against Pakistan on June 29 and July 3.
Rubcic, frustrated at not being paid on time, left Bangladesh on June 2 and had not been in contact with his bosses since, the Bangladeshi federation said.
"We were ready with his payment, but he did not take our any call," Badal Roy, head of national team management committee, told reporters. "We tried to talk to him through his agent, but he was not interested."
Jovanovski, Bangladesh's fourth foreign coach in last three years is expected to take over on June 19, ten days before Bangladesh host the first leg in Dhaka. The return is in Lahore.
Jovanovski, a former Yugoslavia international in his playing days, was given a one-year contract.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 21:10